Electric incandescent lamp



Dec 15, 1936. A. E. NOBLE ELECTRIC INCANDESGENT LAMP Filed April 17, 1936 2 Sheets-$11 961; l

fink @nnamm43cwm ATTORNEYS Dec. 15, 1936. A. E. NOBLE ELECTRIC INCANDESCENT LAMP Filed April l7, 1936 2 Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR' ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 15, 1936 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC INCANDESCENT LAMP Aubrey E. Noble, Snyder, N. Y.

Application April 17, 1936, Serial No. 74,953

13 Claims. This invention relates to electric incandescent lamps, and particularly to thetype in which a filament extends in a direction lengthwise of an elongated glass tube or envelope, and is supported in the tube in spaced relation to the wall of the tube, usually approximately centrally of the bore of the tube.

Heretoiore, various lamps of this type have been sold, but they have been objectionable because of the shadows cast .by the filament supporting means, or because of the fact that the filament support was fragile and difiicult and expensive to manufacture as well as to assemble in a tube.

An object of this inventionis to provide improved electric incandescent lamps ofthis type, with which shadows of the filament supporting means will be reduced to a minimum and be practically nil, with which the filament will be supported and locatedin the tube in a simple use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved lamp of this type which may be used in any position without objectionable shad- 30 ows of the filament support being visible, and with whichthe connections to the filament may be made either through the standard lamp base or through a plurality of spaced contact terminals adiacent opposite ends of the tube.

35 Another object oi the invention is to provide an improved method for sealing the .tube in an exhausted condition without an exhaust tubulation, and for sealing the lead-in wire in the glass envelope or tube.

40 Other objects and advantages will appear irom the following description of several embodiments of the invention, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection-with the-appended claims. c

5 lnfthe'faccompanying drawings:

Fig. "1' is a longitudinal sectional elevation through a portion of a tube constructed in accordmce with this invention, it. being understood that the end portion of the lamp not shown is '50 identical with, but reversed from, that shotm the left-hand end;

Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional elevation of the same, the section being taken approxima along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

55 Fig. '3 is a perspective of a portion. of the fila- (onus-29) a slight modification in the filament spacers or 10 supports;

Fig. 6 is another sectional elevation, similar to Fig. 5, but illustrating still another type 01 filament spacer or support;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal, sectional elevation 15 through a lamp similar to Figs. ito 4 except that the lead-in wires are arranged at one end and connected to the usual standard lamp base on the end or the tube;

Fig.8 isaperspective oiaportion'oiafilament m and its supporting means, also constructed in accordance with this invention but illustrating another embodiment of the invention;v

Fig.9isaperspectiv'eotaportionoiafila. ment and the spacing and mounting means therefor, and illustrating still another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. i0isaperspectiveofaportionotafili ment and its supporting and spacing means, also constructed in accordance with this invention and illustrating still another embodiment there- Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional'elevation through a. portion of a lamp constructed in ac- .cordance with this invention and illustrating still another modification oi the filament supportingand spacing means;

Fig. 12 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same, with the section taken approximately along the line of ll-II of Fig. 11; 40

Fig. 17 is a longitudinal sectional elevation as through one end of a lamp of the type illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, and illustrating one step in the improved method of exhausting and sealing the tube around a lead-in conductor in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 18 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the lamp shown in Fig. 17 and illustrating another and subsequent step in the method of exhausting and sealing the tube; and

Fig. 19 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 18 but illustrating another subsequent and final step in the same method.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, the lamp is illustrated as including an elongated glass tube ID of cylindrical shape, and this tube may be either straight or bent laterally as may be desired, but for simplicity is illustrated as of the straight type. While only one end and an intermediate section are illustrated, it will be understood that the opposite end, not shown, is similar to but reversed from the end which is shown. While the tube l0 may be made of any light transmitting material, glass is the common material employed for that purpose and it may be either clear, frosted, colored, or otherwise treated or prepared, as may be desired.

Adjacent to but spaced from one end, the tube is provided with a tubular projection H through which one lead-in wire l2 extends. A metal cap or terminal connector l3 (Fig. 4) is secured in any suitable manner upon the projection H, such as by cementing it thereover as in standard lamp base constructions, it being understood that the lead-in wire l2 at its outer end which extends beyond the projection II is soldered or otherwise connected to the cap or,

terminal l3, as usual in lamp base constructions, and through which the tube is supported and supplied with a lighting current. A long filament H of any suitable construction is disposed within the tube Ill, so as to extend approximately centrally thereof and from end to end, the ends being secured in any suitable manner, such as to arms l5 disposed adjacent the ends of the tube. The arms l5 are provided on the ends of a spine i6 which extends approximately from end to end within the tube, and along the wall thereof at the side from which the projection ll extends.

The spine IS in this embodiment of the invention is made up of a plurality of ribbon-like strips H of metal, such as nickel or the like, which are slender and freely flexible and pref erably disposed edgewise against the wall of the tube. A plurality of such strips or ribbons I! are arranged end to end and connected to one another by insulating beads l8, which are preferably made of glass or transparent material so as not to cast shadows on the wall of the tube. The adjacent ends of eafii two strips that are arranged in end to end alignment are anchored in the beads in a spaced relation to one another and, for convenience of anchorage in the beads, each ribbon may have a wire I9 secured to and projecting from the end thereof and embedded in the glass bead. This construction is advisable because the wires l9 may be of a material to which the glass bead will adhere firmly throughout various changes in temperature. Materials of this type are disclosed, for example, in United States Patent No. 1,498,908, issued June 24, 1924. Such wires I9 may also be made of tungsten or molybdenum or any other suitable material.

It will be noted that the ribbon sections 01' the spine are insulated from one another by the interposed bead or beads l8, and any number of such interposed beads I8 and ribbon sections I! may be employed so long as there is at least one bead employed in order to insulate the filament anchorage arms l5 at opposite ends of the tube from one another, except for the connection between them of the filament l4. Each lead-in wire I2 is secured to an end ribbon section H. as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and thus it will be observed that each lead-in wire is connected through an end ribbon section of the spine, to an adjacent end of the filament. When a current is applied to the lead-in wires l2, current will pass through the filament of the tube and heat it to incandes'cence. It will be understood. of course, that the tube is exhausted and sealed or filled with an inert gas before current is applied to the filament, as usual in this type of lamp, and any suitable means for so exhausting the lamp or tube, or for filling it with any inert gas may be employed.

In Fig. 1 such exhaustion of the tube is obtained through the usual exhaust tubulation 20, but another method of exhausting the tube and sealingit while exhausted to any desired degree is shown in Figs. 13 to 15 and will be explained hereinafter.

It is important that the filament be supported at a plurality of points intermediate of its ends and for that purpose I provide within the tube, and extending in a direction crosswise thereof, a plurality of spacers or struts 2|. In this embodiment of the invention, each spacer or strut 2| is made up of a stretch of round wire of small diameter, such as of tungsten or molybdenum, or any other suitable material, and is formed of two sections disposed in end to end alignment and connected in slightly spaced relation to one another by glass beads or insulators 22. One end of each wire, strut or spacer 2| is secured in any suitable manner, such as by welding or soldering, to the adjacent ribbon strip l1, so as to project radially of the tube, and approximately at the center of the tube each wire strut or filament spacer is provided beyond its bead 22 with a loop 23 through which the filament H passes, the

ire strut or spacer then continuing beyond the filament into contact with the wall of the tube. The free end of each strut or spacer may be bent arcuately as at 24 so as to provide approximately point contact with the wall of the tube. as shown particularly in Fig. 4, because by such point contact there will be a minimum of shadows cast by the strut or spacer on the glass tube. Preferably, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, some of the struts or spacers have their free ends or arms extending in a plurality of different directions from the filament so as to engage with the wall of the tube at a plurality of peripherally spaced points, as shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 4. A simple arrangement is to have the free ends or arms of these struts or spacers extend alternately to opposite sides from the filament and make angles greater than with the arm of the strut or spacer that is connected to the spine.

The lead-in conductors l2 anchor the ends of i located at approximately the center of the bore of the tube, as shown in Fig. 4. The spacersor struts 2| are made of such size that when inserted in the tube, they must be flexed or sprung slightly so as to exert continuing pressure on the inner surface of the tube wall when released in the tube, and for that reason the material of which the struts or spacers are made preferably should have some degree of elasticity or resiliency. Since the struts or spacers are anchored solely to the spine, it will be observed that the spine may be flexed laterally so as to follow the bore or the tube, even when the tube is bent laterally into diiIerent shapes, and regardless of the winding character of the tube, the flexed spine and the spacers will support the filament at approximately the center of the bore of the tube throughout its length.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 5, the construction is the same as for Figs. 1 to 4, except that the; struts or spacers 2lo, instead of having the bent or looped ends 24 as in Figs. 1 to 4, are merely cut off abruptly at lengths such that the cut oil ends abut the wall of the tube as shown in Fig, 5. The wire of which the struts or spacers 2| are formed is preferably cylindrical wire, that is, of circular cross section, which gives substantially point contact between thecurvedends'flofthetubewalLaswiilbe observed from Fig. 4, but when the spacer .ends

and makes the construction shown in Fig. 5 somewhat lea expensive. Otherwise the construction is the same as in Figs. 1 to 4 and corresponding parts in Fig. 5 are designated with the same referencechamctersasinFlgs. 1to4.

In Fig. 6, the construction is the same as in Fig. 5 except that instead of having the struts or spacers 2ia alternately make different angles to the ends anchored to the spine strip ll, these corresponding strips 2") in Fig. 6 have their free ends extend in almofi the opposite direction from the ends connected to the ribbon strips i'l. Since the bore of the tube is approximately cylindrical, and since the struts orspacers in this embodiment are large enough over all, or long enough, so that the free ends must be flexed or sprung slightly when being inserted into the bore of the tube, the spacers will be effectively held against lateral movement in the time, and thus will defl-' nitely locate the fllament in the bore of the tube. In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 8, the construction is the same as in Flgs. 1 to 4, except'that the spine and spacers for supporting and locating the filament intermediate of its ends in the tube are slightly modified. In this embodiment of the invention, the struts or spacers 25 are formed of strips of cylindrical wire bent intermediate of their ends to form loops 2 through which the filament 14 extends, and the opposlteendsofthe wirestripsarebentintoarcs a at 21 for engagement with the wall or the tube.

These bent ends 21 are similar in function to the 7s bentends 24 oi the spacers 2| of the Figs. 1 to 4.

Tie wires 2| extend in directions lengthwise of the tube, but within the tube, and are disposed in approximate end toend alignment with adja. cent ends connected by glass beads or other insulators 29. Each wire 28 has a length which is less than the distance between alternate spacers, and is welded to one arm of the adjacent spacer 25, such as at 30. The wires 28 with the glass insulators 29 thus form a flexible spine corresponding in function to the spine 16 of Figs. 1 to 4, ex-

cept that the spine of this embodiment is spaced well'into the interior of the tube bore, instead of along a wall thereof as in Figs. 1 to 4. The arms of each spacer 25 to which a wire 28 is not connected, extend in different directions from the filament such as alternately in different directions, or to opposite sides of the filament, such as in the same manner shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

Each end spacer 25a may have the arm thereof which is connected to the spine formed in two spaced sections that are joined to one another by a glass bead 3|, which bead also may be used to join one of the spine wires 28 to a. somewhat heavier terminal member 32. Each terminal member 32 is connected to the lead-in wire l2, and has an angular arm or end 33 corresponding to arm .ii of Figs. 1 to 4, to which the adjacent end of the filament I4 is connected. It will be observed; that the filament is connected at its ends to the terminals of a metallic spine which is formed in sections insulated from one another,

and the intermediate portions of the filament are supported at intervals by the spacers which are also insulated from one another, so that when the lead-in wires l2 are connected to the end members 33 of the spine, a current may be passed through the filament in the same manner as explained for Figs. 1 to 4.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Fig.

third arm 36 which engages with the wall of the tube. The end oi. the wire section of which each spacer 34 is i'ormed, may be abruptly cutofl when expense is to-be saved, but are illustrated as hav ing curved or arcuate ends 31, corresponding.to

the ends 21 in Fig. 8, and ends 24 in Figs, 1 to 4.

It will be observed that each spacer 34, in efiect, has three arms radiating from the filament at substantial angles to one another, so as to obtain by the three point contact of the spacer with the wall of the tube, a careful location of the filament in the tube. The bent back portion or arm 3 provides, in eiIect, aspring action, so that when the spacers are placed in a tube, the bent ends 31 are sprung towards one another slightly in order to get them into a tube, and then when released they will resiliently engage with the wall of the tube and prevent any substantial lateral movement of the spacer and filament in the bore of the tube. It will be noted that in all of these embodiments of the invention, the spine maintains the spacers in positions crosswise of the tube and properly spaced along the length of the 4| are mounted in and extend from recesses II in one end of the tube 41.

the blocks 39 out of contact with the adjacent strip H, are then bent intermediate of their ends to form loops 42 through which the filament passes, and then extend radially from the filament into engagement with the wall of the tube at substantial peripheral distances from the blocks 39 so as to locate the filament and prevent lateral movement thereof in the tube.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the construction is the same as in Figs. 1 to 4, except that each of the spacers 43 which correspond to the spacers 2| of Figs. 1 to 4, is approximately straight, is anchored at one end to a strip ll of the spine, extends radially of the tube to the center thereof and is there bent to form a loop 44 through which the filament passes, and then extends beyond the filament to the opposite side of the tube from the strip l1 into engagement with the tube wall. These spacers are made of greater length than the diameter of the tube however, so that the free end of the spacer will be flexed sidewise, as at 45, as the spine with the spacers attached is forced into the tube in a direction endwise of the tube, as clearly shown in Figs. 11 and 12. This provides practically a point contact between the flexed free end of each spacer 43 and the tube wall, and the pressure of the flex-ed end of such spacer on the wall of the tube at the opposite side of the tube from the spine, prevents any lateral swaying or movement of the spacer, that is, any movement of the spacer crosswise of the tube, such as might carry the filament out of its desired location approximately centrally of the tube. It will be understood however that each spacer 43 is formed with sections that are joined, but insulated from one another, such as by glass beads 46.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 7, the tube 41 is somewhat similar to the tube ill of Figs. 1 to 4, except that instead of having a pair of projections ll through which the lead-in wires .IZ extend, and by which the tube is mounted in a fixture, the lead-in wire connections to the filament are made to a stand ard electric lamp base 48 which is provided upon The spine 49 which mounts the filament I4, in this embodiment of the invention, is a continuous ribbon-like strip of metal similar to strips ll of Figs. 1 to 4, but without sections separated by insulating beads. The spine 49 is provided, at one end, with an arm 50 to which one end of the filament I4 is secured, and at its other end is provided with an arm 5| to which one of the lead-in wires, such as the wire 12a is connected.

A terminal member 52 is disposed in end to end alignment with the arm 5 l but spaced therefrom slightly, and a glass or other insulating bead 53 joins the adjacent ends of the arm 5! and the member 52, so that the member 52 in effect forms an insulated extension of the arm 5|. The other lead-in wire I2!) is connected to the member 52 and the filament I4 is also connected to this member 52. Thus when a current is applied to the lead-in wires 12a and I2b, it will flow through the filament and the spine 49. The spacers 54 may be of any suitable type, such as those shown in Figs. 1 to 4, with the insulating beads 55 in the portions thereof that are connected to the spine 49. The lead-in wires l2a and I'Zb are connected to the metallic sleeve and center terminal of the standard lamp base 48 in the manner that the filament connections or lead-in wires are connected to the standard In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 13 to 15, the filament I4 is anchored at each'end to an angular arm 56 (only one shown) to each of which arms 56 a lead-in wire 51 is connected, as in Figs. 8 and 9. Each arm 56 is connected by a bead or insulator 66 to the adjacent end of a spine wire 56 which corresponds to the spine wire 26 of Figs. 8 and 9 except that it need carry no insulating beads, except at its connection to arms 56, and may be a continuous metal wire or ribbon. The spacers are formed of separate lengths of wire bent into the shapes shown, disposed crosswise of the tube at intervals along the length of the filament, and each welded or otherwise secured intermediate of its ends to the spine wire 59 as at 6|. The wire 59 and arms 56 together may be considered as a complete spine for supporting the filament.

Each spacer 60 has two arms forming between them a V-angle and constituting chords of the circle of the bore of the tube 62, as shown particularly in Fig. 14. The free ends of the V, as well as the junction of the chords or arms, bear on the inner wall of the tube at different points spaced apart around more than half the inner peripheral surface of the tube. Each spacer 60 also has a third arm or stretch 63 extending from the free end of one arm of the V radially or toward the interior of the tube bore where it is coiled to form a loop 64 which releasably encircles a spool-shaped button 65 of insulating or ceramic material in a peripheral groove 66 thereof. The filament l4 extends through the bore of the spool and is hence insulated from the bent metal wire forming the structure or frame of the spacer. The button 65 may be formed or molded of any heat resisting and insulating ceramic material or any other heat resisting and insulating material, such as mica, for example, as may be desired.

If more than one filament is to be supported in each tube, each wire spacer 61 (Fig. 16) is bent to form a plurality of chords of the tube bore, with arms 66 and 69 extending from the ends of the chords into spaced relation to one another in the interior of the bore as shown in Fig. 16, and terminating in loops which encircle filament supporting spools of insulating material like the spools 65 of Figs. 13 to 15, and through which the diilerent filaments l4 and Na extend. Obviously other loops for filament supporting spools may be formed in any portions or the spacers in order to provide for the support of still more filaments, if such should be desired. The end of any spacer arm which engages the tube wall may be bent, curved or rounded as at 16 in Figs. 13 and 14, to give approximate'point contact with the tube and reduce shadows on the tube wall.

Referring now to the Figs. 17 to 19, an improved method of exhausting and sealing the tube after the introdurtion of the filament will be explained. The tube 15 is similar to the tube Ill except that the exhaust tubulatlon 26 is omitted. Adjacent to but slightly spaced from one of its ends, the tube is provided with a projection 12 in place of the projection ll of Figs. 1 to 4, and this projection 12 has a reduced neck portion 13 drawn therein between its ends. A hose I4 is connected between the free end of the extension 12 and a suitable device, not shown, for exhausting the air of the tube. The filament l4 in the tube is supported for example in any suitable manner, such as shown for example in Figs. '1 to 4, and similar parts are given similar reference characters. The-lead-in wire i2 extends a u tube, and with the terminal projection ll provided at one end as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, and the projections 12 of Fig. 17 provided in place of the other terminal projection H, the exhaus-' tion of the tube is now started.

When the air of the tube has been drawn out or exhausted to the desired extent, heat is applied to the neck ll until the glass of the neck can be drawn, at which time the glass of the neck portion is drawn together and around the terminal lead-in wire II, which closes the pro- Jection I2 and seals the terminal wire ii in the closed neck.- The outer end of the projection 12 is then broken or fused oil and the projection given the shape shown in Fig. 18. Thepartial vacuum in the tube aids in drawing the heat softened glass in the neck tightly around the wire II, as shown particularly in Fig. 18. At this step in the process the outer end of the wire l2 projects beyond the sealed neck of the projection I2. A metallic terminal cap 15, such as the cap I: of Fig. 4, is then applied over the closed projection 12 of Fig. 18, and cemented or otherwise anchored thereon, as shown in Fig. 15.

The metallic cap 15 is providedin its outer end with an aperture through which the free end of the wire l2 extends and this projecting end of the wire I! is then upset against the outer end face of cap 15 or is otherwise anchored thereto such as by soldering it to the cap 15, as also shown in Fig. 19. By this procedure the exhaust tubulation of Figs. 1 to 4 can be omitted and avoided.

If it is desired to fill the tube, after exhaustion, with an inert gas such as nitrogen or any rare or inert gases, this can be done through the projection 12 and the hose 14 after the air has been exhausted from the tube and before the neck 13 is heated and sealed around the lead-in wire [2.

Tubes made in accordance with this invention in which the filament is supported in any of the forms shown, when lighted, will show little or no shadow of the filament supports, especially when enclosed in a suitable translucent tube, such as an opal glass tube. When the tube is lighted, the

spine, appears only as a very thin and indistinct shadow line or thread from the ribbon type of spine shown in Figs. 1 to '7, 10, 11 and 12, but

when the wire spine spaced from the tubewall, as shown in Flgs. 7 and 8 for example, is used, we get no noticeable shadows on the tube wall and hence this particular type of spacer and spine, such as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, may advantageously be employed in a tube such as shown in Fig. 7 when the tube is hung down from a socket or used in a position where all of the tube surface is readily visible. The type of tube shown in Fig. 1 with the projections II is preferable wherea plurality of such tubes are to be disposed end to end in order to obtain a substantially continuous line of-light, or the appearance of a-single long tube of light.

It will be obvious that various chang s in the details, materials and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order'to explain thenature of the invention,

the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the app nded claims. 7

I claim as my invention:

1. An electric incandescent lamp comprising a light transmitting glass tube, a filament in said tube and extending approximately from end to end of the tube, a unitary spine within the tube and formed of sections insulated from one another, and extending in the direction of the filament, the ends of the filamentbelng connected to and supported by the end sections of said spine,

. conductors connected to the end sections of the filament directly and approximately to a plurality of different points on the tube wall that are spaced a substantial distance apart on the transverse periphery of the tube for locating the spacer and filament in the bore of the tube.

2. An electric incandescent lamp comprising an elongated glass tube, a flexible unitary spine within the tube and formed of sections of slender ribbons of flexible metal disposed end to end and connected by glass balls, the ribbons being disposed edgewise to the adjacent portion of the wall of the glass tube,- arms carried by the ends of the spine, a filament extending between and supported by said arms and receiving current therefrom, a conductor connected to each end section of the spineand extending outwardly through the wall of the tube and anchored there-' in to anchor the spine edgewise with respect to the tube wall, wire-like unitary spacer arms extending from the spine or ofthe tube at intervals along the spine, and each having a loop through which the filament passes, then extending from the loop beyond the filament into contact'with the wall of the tube at .a distance from the spine for further locating the filament in the tube.

3. An electric incandescent lamp comprising an elongated glass tube, a unitary flexible spine within the tube and formed of sections of slender. relatively thin ribbons of flexible metal' end to end and connected by glass balls, the ribbons being edgewise with respect to the adjacent portion of the wall ofethe glass tube, arms carried by the ends of the spine, a filament extending between and supported by said arms tions transversely of the tube at intervals along the spine, and each having a loop through which the filament passes then extending beyond the filament directly into contact with the wall of the tube at a distance from the spine for further each spacer connecting the filament to the spine being formed of spaced wire sections connected by a glass ball to insulate the intermediate por tions of the filament from the spine.

-4. An electric incandescent lamp comprising an elongated glass tube, a flexible spine within locating the filament in the tube, the portion of may be made by those skilled in the art within tube and formed of of slender rib- 1 bone of fiexible metal disposed end to end and connected by glass balls, the ribbons abutting edgewise against the wall of the glass tube, arms carried by the ends of the spine, a filament extending between and supported by said arms and receiving current therefrom, a conductor connected to each end section of the spine and extending outwardly through the wall of the tube and anchored therein, to anchor the spine edgewise against the tube wall, spacer arms extending from the spine crosswise of the tube at intervals along the spine, and each having a loop through which the filament passes then extending beyond the filament into contact with the wall of. the tube at a distance from the spine for further locating the filament in the tube, the portions of the spacer arms that extend beyond the filament making a plurality of difierent angles to the portions connected to the spine so as to engage the tube at a plurality of different peripheral positions with respect to said spine and thus further locate the filament in the tube.

5. An electric incandescent lamp comprising a light transmitting tube, a filament in said tube and extending endwise thereof, a plurality of spacers within the tube and distributed at intervals along the filament, each spacer extending crosswise of the tube and formed oi an individual stretch of wire bent upon itself to provide arms projecting across the interior of the tube and into contact with the wall of the tube,and also provide a portion extending well into the interior of the tube and supporting an intermediate zone of said filament, and a slender spine extending lengthwise of the tube and tied to each spacer for holding the spacers crosswise of the tube and properly spaced along the tube.

6. An electric incandescent lamp comprising a light transmitting tube, a filament in said tube and extending endwise thereof, a plurality of spacers within the tube and distributed at intervals along the filament, each spacer extending crosswise oi the tube and formed of an individual stretch of wire bent upon itself to provide arms projecting across the interior of the tube and into contact with the wall of the tube, and also provide a portion extending well into the interior of the tube and supporting an intermediate zone of said filament, an insulating element carried by each or said filament supporting portions and through which said filament passes, and a slender spine extending lengthwise of the tube and tied to each spacer for holding the spacers crosswise of the tube and properly spaced along the tube.

'I. An electric incandescent lamp comprising an elongated light transmitting tube, a unitary spine within, and extending in a direction lengthwise of the tube, said spine comprising a plurality of sections of a metallic ribbon disposed in end to end relation, with adjacent ends connected by an insulating button which spaces apart and insulates those ribbon sections, each ribbon section in cross section having materially greater breadth than thickness so as to be freely flexible in one direction and relatively rigid in the other direction, a filament in and running in a direction lengthwise of said tube, means supporting the ends of said filament from the end portions of said spine, means for anchoring the ribbon sections to the tube with the ribbon disposed edgewise with respect to the adjacent portion of the tube wall and for providing current connections to the ends of the filament, a plurality of individual, unitary, flexible, wire-like spacers carried by said spine at intervals therealong, each spacer having one wire portion formed to support the filament and another portion formed to engage the wall of the tube at a point spaced angularly about the longitudinal axis of the tube from said spine, to locate the filament in the tube.

8. An electric incandescent lamp comprising an elongated tube of light transmitting material, a slender, flexible, metallic spine disposed in said tube and running lengthwise therein, a filament in and running lengthwise of said tube, and a plurality of individual spacers within the bore of said tube and distributed at intervals therealong, each spacer being formed of a length of slender, flexible, metallic wire contacting directly with and secured to the metal of said spine, projecting therefrom across the bore of the tube into contact with the wall of the tube, and having a portion formed to support an intermediate section of said filament, said spine and spacers having the metal thereof broken and joined by insulating means sufiiciently to insulate the filament engaging portions of the spacers from one another.

9. An electric incandescent lamp comprising an elongated tube of light transmitting material, a slender, flexible, metallic spine disposed in said tube and running lengthwise therein, a filament in and running lengthwise of said tube, and a plurality of individual filament rectilinear supports within the bore of said tube and distributed at intervals therealong, each support being formed of a length of slender, flexible, metallic wire contacting directly with and se cured to said spine, projecting therefrom across the bore of the tube into contact with the wall of the tube, and having a portion formed to support an intermediate section of said filament, said spine being divided into a plurality of individual sections insulated from one another by insulating means so as to avoid short circuiting of the filament through the spine.

10. An electric incandescent lamp comprising an elongated tube of light transmitting material, a slender, flexible, metallic spine disposed in said tube and running lengthwise therein, a filament in and running lengthwise of said tube, and a plurality of individual rectilinear spacers within the bore of said tube and distributed at intervals therealong, each spacer being formed of a length of slender, flexible, metallic wire contacting directly with and secured to said spine, projecting therefrom across the bore of the tube into contact with the wall of the tube, and having a portion formed to support an intermediate section of said filament, each spacer being interrupted between its ends, and the sections at the interruption connected to one another by insulating means, so as to insulate the spacers from the spine and thereby adjacent spacers from one another, and avoid short circuiting of the sections of the filament between adjacent spacers.

11. An electric incandescent lamp comprising an elongated tube of light transmitting material. a slender, flexible, metallic spine part disposed in said tube and running approximately parallel to the bore thereof, a filament in and running lengthwise of said tube, means supporting said filament at its ends from said spine part, and a plurality of individual spacer parts within the bore of said tube and distributed at intervals therealong, each spacer part being formed of a length of slender, flexible, metallic wire contacting directly with and secured to said spine part, projecting therefrom across the bore of the tube into contact with the wall of the tube, and having a portion formed to support an intermediate section of said filament, one of said parts having zones thereof broken apart and joined by insulating means sufficiently to insulate thefilament engaging portions of the spacer parts from one another.

12. An electric incandescent lamp comprising an elongated tube of light transmitting material, a normally straight, slender, flexible, metallic spine part disposed in said tube and running approximately parallel to the axis of the bore thereof, a filament in and running lengthwise of said tube, and a plurality of individual rectilinear spacer parts within the bore of said tube and distributed at intervals therealong, each spacer part being formed of a length of slender, flexible, metallic wire contacting directly with and secured to said metallic spine part "and pro jecting from the spine part directly in a direction across the bore of the tube to the filament, there formed with a loop supporting said filament, and then continuing beyond the filament into contact with the wall of said tube at a point spaced angularly' about the bore of the tube from said spine, one of said parts having the metal thereof broken apart and joined by insulating means sufiiciently to' insulate the filament engaging portions of the spacer parts from one another.

13. An electric incandescent lamp comprising an elongated tube with light transmitting material, a normally straight, slender, flexible, metallic spine part disposed in said tube and running approximately parallel to the axis of the bore thereof, a filament in and running lengthwise of said tube, a plurality of individual rectilinear spacer parts within the bore of said tube and distributed at intervals therealong, each spacer part being formed of a length-of slender, flexible, metallic wire contacting at one end directly with and secured to said spine part, projecting therefrom directly in a direction across the bore of the tube to said filament, there formed to support the filament, and then continuing from the filament into direct Contact with the wall of the tube at a point spaced angularly about the bore of the tube from said spine, each spacer part being broken between the filament and said spine part, and with the ends at the point of breaking connected by insulating means which slightly spaces the broken ends from one another, so as to electrically insulate the filament supporting portions of the wire of each spacer part from the spine part.

AUBREY E. NOBLE. 

